Rail brake for railway cars



C. J. ELLIS Jun 24, 1930 RAIL BRAKE FOR RAILWAY cARs Filed Aug. 5, 1926' 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. CHARLES JELLls,

TTORNEYS.

June 24, 1930. c. J. ELLIS RAIL BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 5, 1926 ATTORNEY.

C. J. ELLIS RAIL BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS June 24, 1930.

Filed Aug. 5, 1926 4 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENJTOR.

/"/ ////l r-----: 'IIIIIIIII) CHARLES J," ELLIS,

ATTORNEYS.

June 24, 1930. 5 c. J. ELLIS V 1,766,016

RAIL. BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 5, 1926 f 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. CHARLES J." 511.15,

A TTORNEYS.

Patented June24, 1930 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I cmnms J1. ELLIS, or HAMILTON COUNTY, onIo, ASSIGNOB mo THE CINCINNATI can CORPORATION, or CINCINNATI, omo, .A conrona'rron or 0310 am 3am Eon-runway cans,

Application med August '5, 1920. "Serial No. 127,424.

This invention relates to rail brakes for railway cars, more; particularly the type known aselectrically operated cars where an electric motor is employed.

This invention is kindred to that set forth in the application of Thomas Elliott, Serial No. 127,452 filed on the fifth day of August, .1926, in so far as concerns the general feature .of suspending the rail brake shoes a safe distance from the rails, then re-positioning them to a point where they are within a magnetic field established between the shoes and the rails by magnetizing'the shoes and then magnetically drawing and applying the shoes to and against the rails, but differs from said other invention in the means -for and the mode of positioning the shoes to a point within the ma etic field which I do by wholly mechanical means positive in character.

In other words, the present invention is directed to the or anization of a present well-known type 0 wheel brake operating mechanism consistin of levers, connecting rods and a pneumatlc motor or engine, in

a new relation by which such mechanism is combined with mechanical devices by which the rail brakes are held a safe distance above the rails "and are mechanically lowered into contact with the rails and returned to normal position at a safe distance above them.

The details of this arrangement will be tion.

In the accompanying drawings, 1

Figure 1 is in the nature of a diagrammatic view showing in outline two railway car trucks combined with a conventional type of wheel brake operating mechanism including a pneumatic motor;

Figure 2 1s a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a railway truck equipped with such wheel brake operating mechanism together with one form of my devices combined with such conventional o erating mechanism and with a rail brake fin positioning the rail shoes;

Figure 2A isa detail view of the actuating rod, its sleeve and part of the live brake ever;

fully set forth in the following specifica- Figure 3 is aside elevation partly in section on line 3-3 of, Figure and similar to Figure 2 except showing the parts in the position occupied when the rail brakes have been adjusted from their normal position to that of contact with the rails, during which transition from position to position the rail brakes have been magnetizcd and brolught within magnetic relation to the m1 s;

Figure 4 is a plan view of my rail brake positioning devices;

Figure 5 is a partial elevation and partial sectional view of the devices shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the rail shoe housing with the magnets for magnetizing the housing and shoes; and

Figure 7 is a vertical transverse sectional vlew of the housing and shoes taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring first to Figure 1, the diagrammatic view, I would state that the numerals When the usual brake'air valve is posi-; tioned by the operator to admit air underpressure to the air cylinder 13 through a pipe line 14, its piston 15 will be operated in one direction, while'its return movement, when the valve is positioned to permit of the air exhausting, will be effected in the other direction by the spring 16. The former movement causes the piston through its rod 17 to actuate the primary levers 18 and 19 to cause, through connecting rods 18 and 19, the live brake levers 10 and 11 to be actuated to bring their wheel brake shoes 12 and-12 in contact with the wheels; at which time also the connectin rods 9, 9

will in turn actuate the dead rake levers 6 and 7 to cause them to position against the wheels their brake-shoes 8 and 8 The primary levers 18 and 19 are interconnected by a rod.20 while the primary lever 18 is pivoted to the stationary cylinder 13 at the point 21 to afford a fixed fulcrum for this primary lever.

Thus a movement by the pneumatic motor of the primary lever 19 will cause resulting movements of both sets of live brake levers and dead brake levers 11 and 7 of one truck and 6 and 10 of the other truck, resulting in positioning the Wheel brake-shoes against the wheels to effect a braking action. lVhat we have so far described is in general use, and therefore, well known.

Applying my rail brake positioning devices to this conventional wheel brake mechanism attention is called particularly to Figures 2, 3, and 4. It will there be seen that I connect with the live brake lever 10 (and likewise the live brake lever 11) an actuating rod 22 through a sleeve 23 having a stud 24 which passes through the lever .10 and is retained by a nut 25 as best seen in Figure 2A. I place a spring 26 between a nut 27 and the sleeve 23, and below the sleeve I mount on the rod a nut 28, when movement of the lever 10, to the right as viewed in Figure 2, will cause a pull on the actuating rod through the pressure of the sleeve 23 against the spring 26, whose tension may be adjusted by the nut 27, which causes the rod to actuate a bell crank lever 29. This lever is pivoted at 30 to a bracket 31 secured to the transom 5. One end of the bell crank lever is attached by the pin 32 to the lower end of the actuating rod 22, while the other end is attached by the pin 33 to the housing 34 within which magnets 35 are placed for magnetizing the side plates 36 of the housing, and thence the rail shoes 37 for the purpose and in the manner hereinafter to be stated.

The movement of the live brake lever 10 .from the position shown in Figure 2, in which the magnet housing 34 and the rail shoes are elevated to a safe position for the shoes above the track rails, to the position of that lever shown in Figure 3, causes a lifting action on the actuatin rod 22 which results in operating the bel crank lever 29 to depress the housing 34 and the shoes 37 from their normal position totlreir magneticposition or that in which the shoes are within the magnetic field set up between the shoes and the rails when the shoes are magnetized in the manner to be stated. In the described movement of the lever 10 from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 3 the spring 26 functions to exert a lifting or pulling pressure on' the actuating rod 22. On the reverse movement of the lever 10- the sleeve 23 presses against the nut 2S and causes a reverse movement of the actuating rod to operate the bell crank lever 29 to cause it to permit the housing 34 and the rail shoes 37 to return to normal position under the lifting effect of the suspending springs 38 and 39. These springs are connected at their upper ends through bolts 40 with plates 41 carried by the transoms 5 and 5?; while the lower ends of the springs are anchored through bolts 42 to the casing 34 and the rail shoes 37. A cross strap 43 extends' from each shoe 37 to the other, one strap at each end of the shoes, and the anchors 42 connect with these straps. Bolts 44 connect the ends of the side plates 36 of the housing 34 to the shoes. Inthis manner the suspending springs 38 and 39, surrounding the sleeves 38 and 39 re spectively yieldingly support the housing 34 and the rail shoes 37, so that the housing and the shoes may be sustained by these springs 38 and 39 in a position safe for the shoes with respect to the rails and yet permit of the actuating rod 22 and the bell crank lever 29' positioning downward the" housing and theshoes within the magnetic field created between the shoes and the rails to the shoes to be magnetically. snapped or 49 leading to a ground connection 50 lead ing to the controlling circuit, so that these magnets may be energized by any appropriate switch to close the circuit, such, for instance, as shown in the application of Thomas Elliott, Serial No. 127,452 filed-on the fifth day of August, 1926.

By preference I fill the casing with an insulating material, as a mixture of wax poured into the casing in a melted state, as indicated at 51 in Figure 6. The circuit may be opened. by a separate means under the control of the operator. Any convenient means of circuit-control may be used.

brought into quick and forcible contact with After the circuit has been opened the brake shoe leaves the track, due to the operation of the springs.

.- One of the side plates 36 is provided with a flange 57 adapted to slide in a guide or way 58 formed on the side frame of the truck, generally indicated at 59, so that the housing may be adjusted up and down by the mechanism above described to position it and the attached rail shoes 37.

From the foregoing description it will now be seen, first, that I have combined the conventional wheel brake operating mechanism illustrated in Figure 1 with rail-brake positioning-mechanism comprised, in the present exemplification best shown in igures 2 and 3,. of the actuating rod and bell crank lever and the spring suspension" devices, connected with the rail shoes and supporting electromagnets to magnetize such shoes; and secondly, that I have de-"' vised a rail-brake suspending and actuating mechanism consisting, generally, of a casing" containing electromagnets, railbrake-shoes adapted to be magnetized by saidvmagnets, springs which normally position the shoes above the rails but yield to positioning them within the magnetic field created between the shoes and rails when the shoes are magnetized, and an actuating rod or deviceoperatively connected with the housing through the intervention of the bell crank lever.

BIZ means of the combination above set fort and by the use of said suspending and actuating mechanism, I am enabled to apply the wheel brakes and the rail brakes substantially simultaneously and to release said brakes likewise substantially simultaneously; and also by such suspending and actuating mechanism for the rail brakes I am enabled to maintain the rail brakes at a safe distance from the rails while the wheel brakes are out of contact with the wheels and to position the rail brakes within t e magnetic field between them and the rails 0 bring about their magnetic movement to and against the rails concurrently with the application of the wheel brakes to the wheels.

These operations and the organization and mechanism by which they are accomplished are highly useful and fully effective in the safe and quick braking of railway cars.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully described myinven tion, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: Y

'1. In railway brakes, the combination with wheel brakes and operating mechanism therefor, of rail brakes, magnets to magnetize them, yielding suspension devices to support the rail brakes safely remote from the rails and permit positionin them within .the magnetic field between them and the rails, and actuating devices connected with the wheel-brake operating-mechamsm to .cause the actuating devices to position the rail brakes within said magnetic field.

, 2. In railway brakes, the combination with wheel brakes and operating-mechanism therefor comprising levers, connecting rods and an operating motor, of rail brakes comprising rail shoes, magnets associated therewith, spring suspension devices and actuating mechanism connected to the rail brakes and to one of said levers whereby movement of theseveral levers will efi'ect a movement also of the rail brakes to a position within a magnetic field between said rail brakes and the rail;

3. In railwa brakes, the combination with wheel bra es, dead levers, live levers, connecting links between said levers, connecting rods and actuating levers, and a pneumatic motor to operate said mechanism, of rail brakes, associated magnets, spring suspension devices adapted to carry the same, and actuating devices comprising rods connected to and operated by the live levers,

'wheels of the two trucks, of rail brakes, a

housing connected therewith, electromagnets carried. by the housing, suspending springs connected to the trucks and to the housing, bell crank levers connected to the housing and actuating rods to the bell crank levers and to the live levers, whereby when the pneumatic engine actuates-the wheel brakes it will also actuate the rail brakes to adjust them from their normal position safely remote from the rails to a position within a magnetic field between the rail shoes and the rails, said magnets being operative to magnetize the rail shoes.

5. In railway brakes, the combination with a truck and wheel-brake levers and shoes, of rail brakes, associated electromagnets, yielding suspension devices to support the rail brakes, and an actuating device connected to one of the wheel brake levers and connected to the rail brakes to position them within a magnetic field between them and the rails when said wheel-brake lever is actuated.

6. In railway brakes, the combination with a truck, of a rail brake comprising a shoe, associated electromagnets to magnetize the shoe, spring suspension devices to support the shoe normally a'safe distance from the rail, an actuating rod and a bell crank lever connected to it and to the rail shoe to position the latter within a magnetic field' between it and the rall.

7. In railway brakes, the combination with a truck of a housing, electromagnets carried thereby, rail brake shoes, spring suspension devices connected to the truck and adapted to suspend the housing and rail shoes safely above the rail and to permit positioning the shoes within a magnetic field between them and the rails, a bell crank lever connected to the housing and an actuating rod also connected to the bell crank lever,

whereby when said rod is actuated it will os(i1tion the shoes within such magnetic el 8. In railway brakes, the combination with a truck and a wheel brake lever, of a housing, a rail brake comprising a rail shoe, spring suspension devices adapted to support the'rail shoe and the housing, a bell crank lever connected to the housing and an actuating rod connected to the bell crank lever, and having a slidng connection with said wheel brake lever, the rail shoe being normally supported at a safely remote distance from the rail.

9. In railway brakes, the combination with a truck, a bracket secured thereto, a bell crank lever mounted on said bracket, an electromagnet housing connected to said lever, an electromagnet within the housing, an actuating rod also connected to said Lever, spring suspension devices connected to the truck and to said housing and rail brake shoes also connected to said spring suspenv sion devices, the suspension devices supporting the brake shoes normally at a safely remote distance from the rails, the brake shoes being positioned within a magnetic field between them and the rails upon actuation of the lever.

10. In railway brakes, the combination with a wheel brake lever, of an'actuating rod for a rail brake, said rod being slidingly connected with said lever, a spring on said rod to effect a yielding connection between it and the lever when the lever moves in one direction and a stop on the rod to elfect a positive connection between the rod and lever when the lever moves in the other direction.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

CHARLES J. ELLIS. 

